From an outsider's perspective, Lena Dunham and her younger sister, Grace, have a close relationship. The sisters shared intimate conversations in Tiny Furniture, and have been traveling together on Dunham's book tour. This sisterly bond probably prompted Dunham to reveal a childhood anecdote in Not That Kind of Girl:
"One day, as I sat in our driveway in Long Island playing with blocks and buckets, my curiosity got the best of me," Dunham wrote. "Grace was sitting up, babbling and smiling, and I leaned down between her legs and carefully spread open her vagina. She didn't resist and when I saw what was inside I shrieked.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
"My mother came running. 'Mama, Mama! Grace has something in there!'
"My mother didn't bother asking why I had opened Grace's vagina. This was within the spectrum of things I did. She just on her knees and looked for herself. It quickly became apparent that Grace had stuffed six or seven pebbles in there. My mother removed them patiently while Grace cackled, thrilled that her prank had been a success."
Okay, so it's certainly not your typical playing-with-dolls-and-climbing-trees childhood tale. Conservative site Truth Revolt, however, has called it sexual abuse.
Needless to say, Dunham isn't taking that accusation lightly.
The right wing news story that I molested my little sister isn't just LOL- it's really fucking upsetting and disgusting.
— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) November 1, 2014And by the way, if you were a little kid and never looked at another little kid's vagina, well, congrats to you.
— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) November 1, 2014Usually this is stuff I can ignore but don't demean sufferers, don't twist my words, back the fuck up bros.
— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) November 1, 2014I told a story about being a weird 7 year old. I bet you have some too, old men, that I'd rather not hear. And yes, this is a rage spiral.
— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) November 1, 2014Sometimes I get so mad I burn right up. Also I wish my sister wasn't laughing so hard.
— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) November 1, 2014Editor's Note: We hear your comments and are revising this story. It’s not for us to decide what really happened between Dunham and her sister, but the topic of abuse is no laughing matter. Regardless of the personalities involved, let’s try to have a productive discussion.